The DTM Toolkit

There is something to be said for shooting for the moon. When I get there, it feels wonderful 😀 When I look back, the road is not ever quite as rocky as I initially imagined.

The Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award is the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters. The requirements are enumerated here.

Do you think becoming a DTM is an achievement worth your time? I do.

Like so many of the high bars we aim for in our lives, Toastmasters teaches us to set goals and put an action plan together to achieve them. But the distinguishing characteristic of the DTM is this: The journey focuses on making a positive difference for others as we simultaneously gain skills and experience for ourselves.

Want to learn more about the requisite DTM project? DTM David Lintz offers assistance to smooth your way forward through his recently developed DTM Toolkit. At present it includes:

• Questionnaires completed by District 31 Pathways DTMs describe their projects, and how they selected and executed them, along with their contact information; all participants indicated a willingness to connect with prospective DTMs.
• The DTM Project Manual published by Toastmasters International. Although you cannot add a DTM project to your Pathways curriculum until you have completed Level 3 of your second Path, you can access the DTM Project Manual from the Toolkit at any time. This can help you get a head start in thinking about the project.
• Suggested projects that could constitute DTM Projects and would benefit District 31. If one of the projects interests you, great! But even if not, reviewing the listed projects may inspire you to come up with a related project.
• Interviews with Pathways DTMs. Learn about the process of selecting and executing a DTM Project by listening to their experiences.
• Club officer training sessions with Pathways DTMs. Two of these video recordings  feature panels of Pathways DTMs sharing their experiences selecting and executing their DTM Projects. The remaining two highlight panels of Pathways DTMs talking about their experiences conducting Lessons Learned Sessions, one of the requirements to complete a DTM project. All of these sessions included questions from the audience.

To access the DTM Toolkit, click here.

Give us the tools, and we will finish the job. — Winston Churchill